Lop Nor

Lop Nor Travel Guide

Lop Nor was several lakes in southeastern Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region, east and lowest of Tarim Basin. It was a huge
salty marshland covering 3000 square kilometers northeast of Xinjiang.
There were many names of Lop Nor, like salt marsh, dry sea by its
character. Many rivers flew to Tarim Basin, such as Tarim River, Kongqi
River, Qiemo River, Shule River and gathered as a huge lake, which was
disappeared because of rechanneled of several rivers.

Lop Nor
was ever a lively oasis with thousands cows and horses, surrounding with
green forests and clear rivers, but turned to an endless droughty Gobi
Desert with no grass, river, bird. The land surface temperature is up to
70 degree centigrade (158 degree Fahrenheit). However, Lop Nor has
Chinese richest sylvine mining resource with more than 2500 million tons
of sylvine. After drought of Lop Nor, the ecological environment around
it charged radically. Herbaceous plants died; euphratica forest was
encroached by desert. The desert encroached to Lop Nor by three to five
meters every year. Lop Nor was integrated with Taklimakan Desert soon,
this became a bare land.

Traffic:

driving on National Highway 218

DCT Tips:

Individual adventure is not recommended. it's better to attend a group tour.

Lop Nor was ever a huge lake but turned into a part of Taklimakan Desert

Current appearance of Lop Nor

Lop Nor was ever a huge lake but turned into a part of Taklimakan Desert